Program Mezzo

Takács Quartet, Nobuko Imai (viola) Johannes Brahms 1833 – 1897 String Quintet No. 2 in G major, op. 111 1977 Directed by Janos Darvas

Münchner Philharmoniker, Sergiu Celibidache (Conductor) Maurice Ravel 1875 - 1937 Rapsodie Espagnole Cologne, Philharmonie, 1994 Directed by Janos Darvas

Rachmaninov revisited Celebrated in his day not only as a great composer, Sergei Rachmaninov was also admired as an outstanding pianist who was a peerless interpreter of his own works including the piano concerti and the Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini. It is well known that he was in effect the sole pianist capable of performing his most demanding Third Piano Concerto and his performances and recording of the concerto came to be considered as the definitive ones. The relationship between performance, interpretation, and Rachmaninov’s own life is addressed in this film by young pianists. They explore the evolution of interpretation over the past few decades with brief excerpts of recordings by Rachmaninov as contrasted with contemporary performances by today’s well-known young pianists as they comment on the differences (or similarities) of their approach. Directed by Peter Rosen

Boris Giltburg (piano) Frédéric Chopin 1810 - 1849 Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35 Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52 Scherzo No. 4 in E major, Op. 54 Sergei Rachmaninov 1973 - 1943 Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op. 3 No. 2 Prelude in G major, op. 32 No. 5 Prelude in G minor, op. 23 No. 5 Prelude in B minor, op. 32 No. 10 Prelude in G sharp minor, op. 32 No. 12 Prelude in C minor, op. 23 No. 7 Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 36 (1931 version) Montreal, Salle Bourgie, 4 November 2025

The Sound of Cinema - Conversations with Simone Menezes - Hosted by Stéphane Lerouge - Mostra Venice 2022

Opera Now: Hans Abrahamsen OPERA NOW is a six-part documentary series hosted by Vasco Mendonça, a composer with a passion for contemporary opera who is committed to introducing the general public to this unique world. In each episode, he presents a landmark work of the 21st century through interviews with composers, directors, and singers... Before becoming a hit animated film (both the Disney version and Lev Atamanov’s 1957 adaptation!), The Snow Queen was a fairy tale by the famous Hans Christian Andersen. In this episode, we explore its adaptation into an opera by Hans Abrahamsen, a fellow Dane of the famous storyteller, who turned it into a splendid ode to childhood and memories…

Boris Pergamenschikow (cello), Elena Bashkirova (piano), Maxim Vengerov (violin) Johannes Brahms 1833 – 1897 Piano Trio No. 2 in C major, op. 87 1997 Directed by Janos Darvas

Sleeping beauty Ballet in a prologue and two acts by Christian Spuck Music by Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky Ballett Zürich, Junior Ballett Philharmonia Zürich, Robertas Šervenikas (conductor) Directed by Michael Beyer Zurich, Opernhaus, 2022

Accident: A family portrait Vilde Frang violin | Francesca Amante, Nataša Novotná, Maja Dworak Strømgren, Line Tørmoen, Viktor Konvalinka, Václav Kuneš, Jo Strømgren, Rostislav Novák Sen. (dead man) Eugène-Auguste Ysaÿe: 6 Sonatas for solo violin In ‘Accident’, death comes unexpectedly and abruptly to a family that has recently been challenged by the pater familia's marriage to a younger woman. When he dies suddenly, perhaps in a car accident, it becomes extremely important for her to push forward a delayed plan for a family portrait. How to take a family photo where one of the members is no longer alive, and the rest of the family, apart from the young wife, struggle to hide their opposition to the whole project? It is a grotesque task for the photographer, who routinely does everything possible to create a good atmosphere in the studio for his clients. Directed by Jo Strømgren and Stein-Roger Bull 2021